The Official Blog of Ray LaHood, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation

March 07, 2013

Freight Advisory Committee will help America's businesses deliver the goods

Freight
movement is the lifeblood of the American economy. To succeed here and around the world, our nation's businesses need to get goods from ship to train to truck
quickly and efficiently.

On Tuesday, as part of our ongoing effort to establish a National
Freight Strategic Plan, we invited stakeholders to the DOT Freight Policy
Council's second listening session. We wanted to hear from those on the front lines of shipping about how we can improve the way we move the goods that drive our economy.

America's employers and companies
count on a modern, multi-modal transportation system to move their goods to
consumers every day. In fact, the U.S.
freight system moves 57 tons of goods per person every year. About 48 million tons of goods are
transported across America each day. That’s $46 billion worth of new cars and
trucks, machinery for factories, televisions, smart phones, and many, many
other goods that we buy and sell every day.

In his State of the Union address last month, President Obama laid out
his plan to strengthen the middle class and grow the economy by making America
a magnet for jobs and manufacturing. Safe and efficient freight movement plays a key
role in that plan.

Last summer, we
created the Freight Policy Council, chaired by Deputy Secretary John Porcari
and representing DOT leadership across the modes--from highways and railways to
ports and pipelines--as well as economic, legal, and policy experts from the
Department.

We’re working to
designate a National Freight Network, a system of priority roads most critical
for people and businesses moving freight.

We’re also
working on a proposal that will track our progress as a nation, to let us know
how our transportation systems are performing and to help us decide where to
focus future investments.

At DOT, we’re
committed to engaging with the people who count on freight. That includes the states,
the freight and logistics industries, businesses, consumers, and others.
We want representatives from across the transportation spectrum to help us
improve the way we move freight. Click here to nominate someone or yourself for the NFAC.

In 2010, we
shipped more than 18 billion tons of freight in the U.S., but by 2040 we’re
projecting that number to increase by 27 billion tons.

So if we want
our businesses to remain competitive, we have no choice but to invest in a
transportation system --including roadways, railways, waterways, and runways--
that supports our economy and gives it the opportunity to continue growing as
fast as possible.

That's why
Deputy Secretary Porcari and members of our Freight Policy Council spent
Tuesday listening to the folks who know freight best. And that's why--through
the new National Freight Advisory Committee--we'll continue to listen as we
develop a national freight strategy that keeps America's economy moving
forward.